Pickens County Council opposes disposal of coal ash in landfill

A crowd gathered as Pickens County Council members discussed a proposal to dump coal ash in a Pickens County landfill. (FOX Carolina 1/4/2015)

Pickens County Council members discuss a resolution concerning the disposal of coal ash in a landfill. (FOX Carolina 1/4/2015)

PICKENS, SC (FOX Carolina) -

Pickens County Council members passed a resolution Monday opposing a landfill developer's plans to dump coal ash into a landfill.

The coal ash would be dumped in a landfill near SC Highway 93.

Part of the resolution reads that MRR Pickens LLC (“MRR”) is a limited liability corporation operating under the South Carolina state laws and Pickens County has a solid waste management Plan (SWMP) as required by state law and has entered into a development agreement, dated March 8, 2007, with MRR for the approval and operation of a construction and demolition and land clearing debris landfill on property near SC Highway 93.

"Whereas MRR was granted a permit (Permit No. LF2-00003) by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control ("SCDHEC”) for the installation and operation of a Class Two landfill on the said property (the “Landfill”); and whereas, MRR has now made application to SCDHEC for a variance from its permit so as to allow for an increase in the annual disposal rate at the Landfill so as to accommodate MRR’s disposal of coal combustion residuals (“coal ash”)," the resolution reads.

Pickens County says in the resolution that the disposal of coal ash in the landfill is inconsistent with the county's solid waste management plan, its development agreement with MRR and the permit issued by DHEC.

Council members passed the resolution objecting to the issuance of a variance on the permit and reject MMR's variance request.

Pickens County Council also asked for more information from MRR "fully addressing the concerns outlined therein prior to SCDHEC taking any action on MRR’s variance request," the resolution reads.

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